Dispensing container and closure having relatively rotatable inner and outer caps with rotation limiting means



3,325,065 OTATABLE R C. ALLEN June 13, 1967 DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CLOSURE HAVING RELATIVELY R INNER AND OUTER CAPS WITH ROTATION LIMITING MEANS 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct 20,

FIG. 1

INVENTOR RICHARD C. ALLEN W M4 N zfigg June 13, 1967 3,325,065

R. C. LLEN DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CLO E HAVING RELATIVELY ROTATABLE INNER AND OUTER CAPS WITH ROTATION LIMITING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1965 INVENTOR RICHARD C. ALLEN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,325,065 DISPENSING CONTAINER AND CLOSURE HAV- ING RELATIVELY ROTA'IABLE INNER AND OUTER CAPS WITH ROTATION LIMITING MEANS Richard C. Allen, (Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Get. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,370 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-445) This invention relates to a novel dispensing container in which means are provided for preventing the rotation of one of a pair of caps of the closure relative to the container and further means are provided for limiting the relative rotation of the pair of caps relative to each other between a position in which dispensing openings of the caps are in registration and another position in which the dispensing openings are not in registration.

It is conventional to form dispensing closures which include a pair of caps telescoped relative to each other and to secure such closures to the neck or finish of containers. One of the caps, generally an innermost cap, is prevented from rotating relative to the container while a second and generally outermost cap is mounted for rotation relative to both the innermost cap and the neck of the container.

The inner cap is secured to the neck of the container in a variety of different ways, such as internal ribs in the container neck received in grooves in a peripheral skirt of the innermost cap. It is also conventional to frictionally lock the innermost cap to the neck of the container by a press-fit connection, or to threadably secure the inner cap to the neck of the container. In dispensing closures of the type in which the inner cap does not include a peripheral skirt, the inner cap can be easily secured to the lip of a conventional container and it is common to provide such a lip with projections or a roughened surface to prevent the rotation thereof relative to the neck of the container.

In conventional dispensing closures of the type described many shortcomings are apparent, such as the tendency of a product packaged in a container to inadvertently leak outwardly of the closure in the closed position thereof. In addition, it has been found quite difiicult to assemble the three components in a rapid manner whereby production costs would be materially decreased. It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novel container and dispensing closure combination which overcomes the above and many other disadvantages inherent in prior art structures by the provision of novel means for retaining inner and outer caps of a dispensing closure in preassembled relationship prior to the application of the assembled caps to a container, and to provide novel means for interlocking an innermost one of the cap to a container neck and limiting the rotation of an outer cap between dispensing and non-dispensing positions of the dispensing closure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure and container of the type immediately above described in which each of the caps includes dispensing openings and peripheral skirts, the container having a body terminating in a neck, the skirts being telescoped relative to the neck, at least a single projection on the neck of the container, at least a single slot in the peripheral skirt of the inner cap, and the projection being received in the slot whereby rotation of the inner cap relative to the container is prevented.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure and container constructed in the manner just described in which the inner cap includes an end panel, a plurality of keys projecting radially beyond and forming extensions of the end panel, and the peripheral skirt of the outer cap is provided with a radially inwardly directed circumferential bead for cooperating with the keys to maintain the inner and outer caps of the dispensing closure in assembled relationship prior to the assembly thereof with the container neck.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a. fragmentary top perspective view with parts broken away for clarity of a novel dispensing container constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates the relationship of a pair of caps forming a dispensing closure and a neck of a container to which the dispensing closure is secured.

FIGURE 2 is a reduced sectional view taken generally along line 22 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates the caps in the non-dispensing position thereof with dispensing openings in end panels of the caps being misaligned.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generaly along line 33 of FIGURE 2, and more clearly illustrates the non-dispensing position of the caps and internested keys for limiting the rotation of the caps between dispensing and non-dispensing positions.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary exploded side elevational view of the dispensing container constructed in accordance with the invention, and illustrates the relationship of the caps and container neck prior to being assembled and secured to the neck of the container.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates interlocked lugs of the container neck and slots of the inner cap peripheral skirt for preventing relative rotation between the inner cap and the container.

FIGURE 6 is a reduced sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates the caps in the dispensing position with the dispensing openings in axial alignment.

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the container, and more clearly illustrates the lugs on the container neck.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 88 of FIGURE 6, and illustrates a fiow path of a product packaged in the container outwardly through the dispensing openings of the dispensing closure.

A novel dispensing container constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in the drawings, and is generally referred to by the reference numeral 10. The dispensing container 10 comprises a dispensing closure 11 which includes an outermost cap 12 and an innermost cap 13 which is secured to a container 14 in a manner to be described more fully hereafter. The caps 12 and 13 and the container 14 are preferably constructed from plastic material, such as linear polyethylene or similar thermoplastic material. The caps 12 and 13 are each preferably constructed by a conventional injection molding process while the container 14 is preferably blow-molded in a conventional manner.

The container 14 comprises a container body 15 which is substantially circular in transverse section. The container body 15 is joined by an integral shoulder 16 (FIG- URES 3 and 4) to an upstanding neck or finish 17. The neck 17 terminates in an uppermost edge 18 defining a mouth (unnumbered) of the container 14.

The neck 17 of the container 14 includes an inner circumferential surface (unnumbered) and an outer circumferential surface 21. A plurality of identical lugs, projections or protuberances 22 are spaced about the exterior of the neck 17, and each projection 22 is directed radially outwardly beyond the exterior circumferential surface 21, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 7 of the drawings. The projections 22 terminate short of the upper edge 18 and blend with a radially outwardly directed circum ferential bead 23. There are five projections 22 (FIGURE 7) which are equally spaced from the axis of the container body as viewed in FIGURE 7 of the drawings, the left pair of projections and the right pair of projections are spaced from each other by an arc of 40 degrees while the lowermost projection is spaced from each of the adjacent projections by an arc of 80 degrees.

The inner cap 13 of the dispensing closure 11 comprises an end panel having a plurality of identically circumferentially spaced dispensing openings 36. There are nine such dispensing openings 36 in the end panel 35 of the inner cap 13, and each dispensing opening 36 is spaced an identical distance from the axis of the inner cap 13. More or less than the number of dispensing openings 36 can, of course, be provided in the sifter cap 13 in accordance with this invention.

The end panel 35 of the inner cap 13 is defined by an upper surface 37 (FIGURES 3 and 4) and a lower surface 38. The end panel 35 merges with an integral depending peripheral skirt 40 having interior and exterior circumferential surfaces 39, 41 respectively. The peripheral skirt 40 is provided with a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced and identical slots 42 which pass completely radially through the peripheral skirt 40 and through a terminal edge 43. The slots 42 terminate short of the inner surface 38 of the end panel 35, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings. The slots 42 set off a plurality of identical axially depending members 44 having lowermost rounded corners (unnumbered).

A plurality of identical keys 45 project radially outwardly beyond the end panel 35 and form extensions thereof. Each of the keys 45 is substantially wider than and in axial alignment with an associated one of the slots 42. Each key includes an upper surface (unnumbered) forming a continuation of the surface 37 of the end panel 35, and a radial outermost surface 46. The surface 3'7 of the end panel 35 is connected to the associated surfaces 46 of the keys 45 by surfaces 47 which diverge radially outwardly and downwardly from the surface 37 toward each of the associated surfaces 46.

The outer cap 12 of the dispensing closure 11 includes an end wall 50 having a plurality of equally spaced dispensing openings 51. There are nine such dispensing openings 51 in the end wall or panel and each dispensing opening 51 is spaced from the axis of the outer cap 12 a distance identical to the spacing of the dispensing openings 36 from the axis of the inner cap 13. The end panel 50 is integrally joined to a depending peripheral skirt 52 having an exteriorly ribbed gripping portion (unnumbered) and an interior surface or wall 53. The skirt 52 terminates in an inwardly directed circumferential locking rib 54 (FIGURES 3 and 8) which is received beneath the bead 23 of the container 14 to secure the dispensing closure 11 to the neck 17 in a conventional manner.

A plurality of radially inwardly directed identical keys 55 form an integral portion of the skirt 52 and project beyond the internal surface 53 thereof, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. There are nine such projecting keys 55 and each key includes oppositely directed abutment surfaces (unnumbered) between which lies a keyway 58. The keys 55 project downwardly from the end panel 50 and terminate slightly short of a radially inwardly directed circumferential head 60.

The dispensing closure 11 is assembled by telescoping the cap 12 and the cap 13 relative to each other. During this telescoping of the caps 12 and 13, the keys 45 and the bead of the cap 12 deflect or deform slightly to effect the passage of the keys 45 into the keyways 58. After the keys 45 enter the keyways 58 the bead 60 rebounds and the keys 45 are held captive between the bead 60 and the end panel 50.

After the caps 12 and 13 have been assembled in the manner just described, the dispensing closure 11 is telescoped on the neck 17 of the container 14 after the latter has been filled with a desirable dispensible product, such as dry powder, salt, etc. During this telescopic assembly, the lugs 22 on the container neck 17 are received in associated ones of the slots 42 and the bead 54 is positioned beneath the bead 23. The cap 12 is free to rotate but the cap 13 is held immovable by the interlocking engagement between the protuberances 22 and the slots 42 of the cap 13.

Assuming the dispensing container is in the non-dispensing position thereof, i.e., with the dispensing openings 36, 51 misaligned (FIGURES 2 and 5) the outer cap 12 of the dispensing closure 11 is rotated from the position illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 6 at which time the keys 45 rotate in the keyways 58 of the cap 12 until contact is established between the keys 45 and an associated one of the keys 55. When contact is thus established the dispensing openings 36, 51 are in alignment and the dispensing container is inverted to dispense a product outwardly of the container body 15 through the aligned openings 36, 51 along a flow path graphically illustrated by the headed unnumbered arrows of FIGURE 8. Upon the completion of the dispensing operation, the outer cap 12 is rotated from the position shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 to the position illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, at which time the keys 45, 55 again contact each other when the dispensing openings are no longer in alignment.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example dispensing closure and container without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing container comprising a container body having a body wall and a neck, a plurality of radially outwardly directed locating members on said neck, an inner cap having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, an outer cap having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, the peripheral skirt of said inner cap being in external telescopic relationship relative to said container. neck, the peripheral skirt of said outer cap being in external telescopic relationship relative to the peripheral skirt of said inner cap, means securing said outer cap to said container neck for rotational movement of said outer cap relative to said inner cap and said containerneck, dispensing openings in the end panels of said inner and outer caps, said openings being aligned in a first position thereof and being misaligned in a second position thereof at respective first and second positions of said caps, means for limiting the rotation of said caps between the first and second positions thereof, said rotation limiting means being a plurality of keys carried by said caps, means for securing said inner cap to said container neck, said lastmentioned securing means being a plurality of slots formed in said peripheral skirt of said inner cap, at least one of said slots receiving one of said locating members whereby said inner cap and container neck are in fixed relationship to each other and means on said outer cap intermediate said first-mentioned securing means and said keys for maintaining inner and outer caps in internested relationship prior to positioning upon said container neck.

2. A dispensing container comprising a container body having a body wall and a neck, a plurality of radially outwardly directed locating members on said neck, an inner cap having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, an outer cap having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, the peripheral skirt of said inner cap being in external telescopic relationship relative to said container neck, the peripheral skirt of said outer cap being in external telescopic relationship relative to the peripheral skirt of said inner cap, means securing said outer cap to said container neck for rotational movement of said outer cap relative to said inner cap and said container neck, dispensing openings in the end panels of said inner and outer caps, said openings being aligned in a first position thereof and being misaligned in a second position thereof at respective first and second positions of said caps, means for limiting the rotation of said caps between the first and second positions thereof, said rotation limiting means being a plurality of keys carried by said caps, means for securing said inner cap to said container neck, said lastmentioned securing means being a plurality of slots formed in said peripheral skirt of said inner cap, and at least one of said slots receiving one of said locating members whereby said inner cap and container neck are in fixed relationship to each other, means for retaining said caps in assembled relationship prior to attachment thereof to said container body, said retaining means including a radially inwardly directed bead on the interior of said outer cap peripheral skirt between said first-mentioned securing means and said keys, and the keys of said inner cap being positioned between said head and the end panel of said outer cap.

3. A dispensing container comprising a container body having a body wall and a neck, a plurality of radially outwardly directed locating members on said neck, an inner cap having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, an outer cap having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, the peripheral skirt of said inner cap being in external telescopic relationship relative to said container neck, the peripheral skirt of said outer cap being in external telescopic relationship relative to the peripheral skirt of said inner cap, means securing said outer cap to said container neck for rotational movement of said outer cap relative to said inner cap and said container neck, dispensing openings in the end panels of said inner and outer caps, said openings being aligned in a first position thereof and being misaligned in a second position thereof at respective first and second positions of said caps, means for limiting the rotation of said caps between the first and second positions thereof, said rotation limiting means being a plurality of keys carried by said caps, means for securing said inner cap to said container neck, said lastmentioned securing means being a plurality of slots formed in said peripheral skirt of said inner cap, at least one of said slots receiving one of said locating members whereby said inner cap and container neck are in fixed relationship to each other, means for retaining said caps in assembled relationship prior to attachment thereof to said container neck, said retaining means including a radially inwardly directed head on the interior of said outer cap peripheral skirt, the keys of said inner cap being positioned between said bead and the end panel of said outer cap, the keys of said inner cap projecting radially beyond the peripheral skirt of said inner cap, said inner cap keys being in coplanar relationship to said inner cap end panel and defining extensions thereof, and said slots and inner keys being in axial alignment, each of said keys having uppermost and radially outermost surfaces, said uppermost and radially outermost surfaces being joined by associated surfaces diverging toward the radially outermost surfaces thereby facilitating the preassembly of said inner and outer caps due to the ready passage of the inner cap keys past the outer cap bead upon the introduction of the inner cap into the outer cap, there being less locating members on said container neck than slots in said inner cap peripheral skirt whereby only selected ones of said slots receive said locating members, and only two pair of said locating members being circumferentially spaced from each other a distance equal to the circumferential spacing of the dispensing opening in each of said inner and outer caps.

4. An inner cap adapted to be fixedly secured to a container neck comprising a cap body, said cap body being constructed of plastic material and including an end panel and an integral depending peripheral skirt, said end panel having inner and outer surfaces, said peripheral skirt having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and a terminal bottom edge, a plunality of dispensing openings in said end panel, a plurality of slots in said peripheral skirt opening axially through said bottom edge and radially through said inner and outer peripheral surfaces, a plurality of keys projecting radially outwardly beyond the outer peripheral surface of said peripheral skirt, said keys defining integral radial extensions of said end panel, each key being in axial alignment with an associated slot, each key having uppermost and radially outermost surfaces, and said uppermost and radially outermost surfaces being joined by associated surfaces diverging toward the radially outermost surfaces whereby the preassembly of said inner cap with an associated outer cap is facilitated prior to the securement thereof to a container.

5. A dispensing container comprising a blow molded plastic container body having a body wall and a neck, said neck including lower, medial and upper wall portions, a circumferential radially outwardly directed bead defined by said medial wall portion, a plurality of radially outwardly directed locating members on said upper wall portion, said locating members extending axially from said head toward an upper edge of said neck but terminating short thereof, an inner cap in telescopic relationship with said upper wall portion, said inner cap including a cap body of plastic material having an end panel and an integral depending peripheral skirt, said end panel having inner and outer surfaces, said peripheral skirt having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and a terminal bottom edge, the distance between said end panel inner surface and said terminal bottom edge being less than the distance between said bead and said upper edge of said neck, a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced openings in said end panel, a plurality of slots in said peripheral skirt opening axially through said bottom edge and radially through said inner and outer peripheral surfaces, selected ones of said slots receiving selected ones of said locating members whereby said inner cap is prevented from rotating relative to said neck, a plurality of keys projecting radially outwardly beyond the outer peripheral surface of said peripheral skirt, said keys defining integral radial extensions of said end panel, each key being in axial alignment with an associated slot, each key having uppermost and radially outermost surfaces, said uppermost and radially outermost surfaces being joined by associated surfaces diverging toward the radially outermost surfaces, said keys being thicker than said end panel, an outer cap, said outer cap being constructed of plastic material and including a cap body having an end panel and an integral depending peripheral skirt, said outer cap peripheral skirt being in external telescopic relationship with said inner cap peripheral skirt and terminating adjacent said lower neck wall portion, said outer cap peripheral skirt having axially spaced beads, one of said outer cap beads being a retention bead positioned beneath said neck bead for retaining said cap positioned upon said neck and with said outer cap rotatable relative thereto, the other of said beads being positioned beneath said keys for retaining said caps in assembled relationship prior to the assembly thereof as a unit upon said necks, a plurality of keys between said last-mentioned bead and the outer cap end panel, and said outer and inner cap keys being internested whereby said outer cap is limited in its rotation between positions of alignment and misalignment of said dispensing openings.

6. An assembled dispensing closure comprising an inner cap and an outer cap, each of said caps including an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt, said outer cap skirt being in external telescopic relationship relative to said inner cap skirt, means for securing said outer cap to a container, means between said securing means and said outer cap end panel defining an area adjacent said end panel into which a portion of said inner cap is received and confined, said last-mentioned means being carried by said outer cap peripheral skirt and projecting radially inwardly therefrom, a plurality of keys forming portions of said outer cap, a plurality of radially outwardly directed keys carried by said inner'cap, said keys being in internested relationship whereby rotation of said caps in either of two opposite directions is limited by abutting contact between selected ones of said keys, and the keys of said inner cap being confined in said area against axial Withdrawal therefrom whereby inadvertent separation of said caps is precluded.

7. An assembled dispensing closure comprising an inner and an outer cap, each of said caps including an end panel and 21 depending peripheral skirt, said outer cap skirt being in external telescopic relationship relative to said inner cap skirt, first inwardly projecting means on said outer cap skirt for securing said closure to a container, second inwardly projecting means on said outer cap skirt for retaining said inner cap within said outer cap, at least one inwardly projecting key on said outer cap skirt intermediate the outer cap end panel and the second inwardly projecting means and at least one outwardly projecting key on said inner cap skirt between said outer cap end panel and said second inwardly projecting means for 5 limiting relative rotation of said inner and outer caps and for precluding inadvertent separation of said caps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINER COMPRISING A CONTAINER BODY HAVING A BODY WALL AND A NECK, A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED LOCATING MEMBERS ON SAID NECK, AN INNER CAP HAVING AN END PANEL AND A DEPENDING PERIPHERAL SKIRT, AN OUTER CAP HAVING AN END PANEL AND A DEPENDING PERIPHERAL SKIRT, THE PERIPHERAL SKIRT OF SAID INNER CAP BEING IN EXTERNAL TELESCOPIC RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO SAID CONTAINER NECK, THE PERIPHERAL SKIRT OF SAID OUTER CAP BEING IN EXTERNAL TELESCOPIC RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO SAID CONTAINER SKIRT OF SAID INNER CAP, MEANS SECURING SAID OUTER CAP TO SAID CONTAINER NECK FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID OUTER CAP RELATIVE TO SAID INNER CAP AND SAID CONTAINER NECK, DISPENSING OPENINGS IN THE END PANELS OF SAID INNER AND OUTER CAPS, SAID OPENINGS BEING ALIGNED IN A FIRST POSITION THEREOF AND BEING MISALIGNED IN A SECOND POSITION THEREOF AT RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS OF SAID CAPS, MEANS FOR LIMITING THE ROTATION OF SAID CAPS BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS THEREOF, SAID ROTATION LIMITING MEANS BEING A PLURALITY OF KEYS CARRIED BY SAID CAPS, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID INNER CAP TO SAID CONTAINER NECK, SAID LASTMENTIONED SECURING MEANS BEING A PL URALITY OF SLOTS FORMED IN SAID PERIPHERAL SKIRT OF SAID INNER CAP, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SLOTS RECEIVING ONE OF SAID LOCATING MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID INNER CAP AND CONTAINER NECK ARE IN FIXED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND MEANS ON SAID OUTER CAP INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST-MENTIONED SECURING MEANS AND SAID KEYS FOR MAINTAINING INNER AND OUTER CAPS IN INTERNESTED RELATIONSHIP PRIOR TO POSITIONING UPON SAID CONTAINER NECK 